Supporting means for milking apparatus



Feb. 14, 1950 DAILY 2,497,299

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MILKING APPARATUS Filed May 3, 1947 -19- v go/as A FEE-4 fn uenfor fierwaoa Dal/51 I 2a 5 P 3. 2

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' tim a flexible band or hanger member.

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 SUPPORTING Means son mauve APPARATUS Sherwood Daily, Downers Grove, Imaesignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May a, 1m, sum No. 745.682

Claims. (CI. 31-58) relates to milking machines. it concerns milking machines This invention More specifically,

tially supported from of a type which is positioned underneath the cows body and wherein themilk receiving receptacle is partially supported from the teats of they cow by means of relatively short flexible milk It has generally been found in suction type milkers that there is ever present the danger of teat strangulation. milking, there is a tendency on the part of the teat cups to be drawn upwardly on the teats, thereby pinching the soft membranes of the udder and shutting off the flow of milk therefrom. This causes damage to the cows udder a subsequent decrease in milk promany times and results in duction. In order signed. Milking apparatus -of the suspension includes a milk receiving receptacle which is back of the cow by means of The receptacle is connected to the hanger at one point underneath the cow and is also partially supported from the teats of the cow by means of short flexible tubes connected to the teat cups and to the receptacle. As the milking operation progresses, with this type of milker, the milk acsuspended from the cumulates in the receptacle and the increased weight therein progressively causes the teat cups to exert a heavier tugging action or pull on the teats of the cowl Thus the upward climbing of the teat cups is prevented, the increased'weight within the receptacle. being effective at a time when the teat strangulation would most likely occur: namely, toward the end of the operation.

The hanger type of milker was found to solve the problem of "teat strangulation" but instead it created new undesirable problems. It was found extremely awkward to place the hanger on the cow and more so to keep it there during the milking operation. Considerable, time had to be spent by the dair man in making the necessary variable adjustment of the hanger for each individual cow. The time spent in cleaning the hanger also During the final stages of to overcome this dimculty a suspension type of milker has previously been deaccumulation of milk and thereby providing a vertical tugging action is considered quite substantial. A flexible type hanger would absorb body grease from the cow and would become dimcult to clean. On the other hand, a metal type hanger would tend to bruise the cows back after a certain period of use.

It is the prime object of this invention therefore to provide an improved means for supporting a milking apparatus of the type which is parparent as the closure plate ll has flexible milk tubes. 7 I v It is another object to provide an improved milking apparatus having a mi lk receiving receptacle which is supported in a manner whereby a straight downward tugging action results upon the teats of the cow, said tugging action becoming increasingly greater due to the greater preventing strangulation of the cow's teats.

Another object is to provide an porting devicefor a milking apparatus, said supporting device including a ground support which is connected to the milk receiving receptacle.

Still another object ground support for a short tube milking apparatus, the milk receiving receptacle being pivotally connected to said ground support for vertical hinged movement with respect thereto.

Another obiect'is to provide a ground support for a short tube milking apparatus, said ground support being adapted to resiliently support the milk receiving receptacle "underneath the cow's supporting device for a milk receiving receptacle,

said receptacle being connected to the cows teats and to the supporting device, said resilient construction providing means whereby said. receptacle is free to resiliently sag vertically downwardly under the accumulation of milk, thereby on the cows teats. 1

Other objects of this invention will become apdescription proceeds.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an improved milking apparatus showing its application and position with respect to a cow;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a milking apparatus, said view showing a milk receiving receptacle carried by a ground support;

. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 'HofFig.2.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a milking apparatus is generally indicated by the reference character It. The milking apparatus ll consists of a milk receiving receptacle II which may be of any suitable bucket type construction. The milk receiving receptacle is provided with a handle I! and a spout IS. A cover or closure plate I4 is provided over the spout l3. The cover or connected thereto to plurality of short flexible the cows teats by short;

improved supis to provide a portable milk tubes it which are in supports the receptacle l .vided with shoulder member '40.

turn connected to and are in communication with a plurality oi teat cups It. A pulsating device .II is'secured to the closure-plate H. The pulsator 1|! is in communication with a source of vacuum. not shown, by means of a flexible conduit or vacuum line It. Vacuum tubes is are connected to cow as best shown in Fig. 1. The teat cups are attached to the teats of the cow and any desired vertical adjustment is made by turning the handle 28 the pulsator at one end and are incommunication with the teat cups ll. The teat cups it are,

of a conventional double chambered construction which are well known in the art. Further description with respect to these is not deemed essential.

The milk receiving receptacle H is supported .underneath the body of the cow by means of a -member or standard 22. The upright member 22 is provided with a vertically and transversely extending slot 23 and a plurality of rack teeth 24.

' An adjustable channel shaped member 25 isslidably connected to the upright member 22. Between the legs of the channel shaped member 25 there is provided a pinion 25 which is rigid with respect to a transversely extending shaft teat cups causes rhythmic vertical movement oi I in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner until the 'milk. receiving receptacle, is at a suitable height. Forward sliding movement of the latch 3'l' 'locks the adjustable member 23 against further vertical movement. The pulsator'is set into motion in a conventional manner whereupon the milking process begins. Since the milk receiving receptacle is resiliently pivotally supported, the intermittent tugging action of the the receptacle. The milk accumulates within the receptacle and causes a vertical downward tug on the teats, thereby preventing the teat cups from crawling upwardly and thus causing possible teat strangulation. As the milking progresses and. the probability of teat strangula-. .tion becomes more likely, this probability is Y counteracted by the increased quantity of milk within the receptacle which causes the sameto sag vertically downwardly, the increased weight thereby progressively increasing the tug. on the 21 which is.journaled on the adjustable member a 25. The pinion 26 is positioned to engage the rack teeth 24 of the upright member 22. By

means of a handle member 28 the shaft 21 may I be rotated and the pinion may be moved thereby adjusting the adjustable member 25 to the vertical height desired, A plate 29 is rigidly secured go the upper portion of the adjustable member 5. The plate 29 is provided with alrectangular opening 30 through which the upright member '22 extends. A longitudinally movable latch 3i is positioned on top of the plate 30. The adjustable latch 3| includes an opening 32 through which the upright member 24 extends. Longitiidinally extending slots 33 are provided in the latch 3i. The latch 3| is secured to the plate 23 by means of rivets or other suitable fasteners extending through the slots 33. The longitudinal slots 33 permit a suflicient longitudinal movement so that the latch 3i can be longitudinally shifted.

A ball shaped hinge member 35 is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the receptacle II as indicated at 36. The bail shaped hinge come contaminated than member is provided with longitudinally extending leg portions 31 having bent over ends 31- which straddle the upright member 22. A removable hinge pin 38 extends through the ends 31 and through the slot 23 of the upright member 22. The receptacle H is pivotally supported by the hinge pin 38 on the adjustable'member 25 since the pin 38 extends through the member 25 and is movable therewith. The standard 22 thus I .by means of the adjustable member 25.

The lower portion of the receptacle II is pro- Connected to this shoulder member 40 is a longitudinally extending pin 4|. The pin 4| extends forwardly through a longitudinally extending slot 42 provided-in the upright member 22. A resilient element, such as a coil spring 43, is provided around the pin 4|. The coil spring 43 bears against the rearward side of the lower portion of the member 22 and resiliently supports the milk, receiving receptacle II in a substantially horizontal position.

The milk container is placed underneath the 16 teats. It is especially important to note that a vertical downward pull is provided thus subjecting the cow to a most natural milking action.

The resilient efiect of the coil spring 43 is, of course, dependent on itsv size. The vertical resilient movement of the milk receiving receptacle can thus be controlled by changing the spring to the size desired. Should, at any time, the teat cups become accidentally separated from the teats of the cow, the milk receiving receptacle will merely sag downwardly to its ;maximum position and the teat cups will remain suspended above the floor. since the teat cups thereby are less likely to be- I they would be if they were free to fall on the floor of the dairy stall. In order to remove the receptacle from the gi'ouisd support the operator merely slides out the p n Y It can thus be seen that a novel supporting de vice has been provided for an improved milking apparatus and it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made in this construction which do not depart from the spirit of the invention as disclosed nor the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a milking machine having a milk receiving receptacle and a plurality of teat cups connected to said receptacle; by relatively short flexible milk tubes, the combination therewith of means for supporting said receptacle beneath the animal's body' including a ground support having an upright member connected thereto, a member slidably associated with said upright member, rack and pinion means between said upright member and said supporting member for vertically adjusting the sliding member, a hinge member connected to said receptacle, said hinge member being pivotally connected to the sliding member for hinged movement about a horizontal axis, a resilient element positioned between said upright member and said receptacle, said hinge member and said resilient member providing two points of support for said receptacle thereby resiliently supporting-the receptacle in a substantially horizontal position, said rewardly under the increasing accumulation of milk, thereby providing a downward vertical tug on the teats of. the animal.

This is of prime importance" 2. In a milking machine having a milk receiving receptacle and a plurality of teat cups connected to the receptacle by relatively short flexible milk tubes, the combination therewith of means for supporting the receptacle beneath the animal's body including a ground support having an upright member adapted to, be positioned under the animal's body, an adjustable member connected to said upright member in sliding relation, means for adjusting said adjustable member on said upright member, a hinge bracket connected to said receptacle adjacent the upper edge thereof, means hingedly connecting said bracket to said, upright member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a resilient member connected to said receptacle, said resilient member being engageable with said upright member for resiliently supporting said receptacle, said receptacle being held by said resilient member in a substantially horizontal position until the receptacle sags downwardly against the action of said resilient member 'under the increasing accumulation of milk in the receptacle thereby providing a downward vertical tug on the teats of the animal.

3. In amilking machine having amilk receiving receptacle and a plurality of teat cups connected to the receptacle by relatively short flexible milk tubes, the combination therewith of means for supporting the receptacle independently oi the animal including a portable ground support having an upright member adapted to be positioned underneath the animal's body, a supporting member adjustably connected to the upright member, means for supporting said receptacle resiliently in a substantially horizontal position including a hinge bracket connected between said receptacle and said supporting membet to provide for hinged movement of said receptacle about a horizontal axis, a spring connected to said receptacle, said spring extending substantially parallel to said hinge bracket and engaging said upright member, said receptacle being arranged and member adapted to be positioned underneath the animal's body, a supporting member adjustable vertically on said upright member, a hinge bracket rigidly connected to the milk-receiving receptacle, means pivotally connecting said hinge bracket to said upright member, said means including a quickly detachable hinge pin, a spring engaging said receptacle and said upright member, means supporting said spring in vertically spaced and parallel relation with respect to said hinge bracket, said spring and hinge bracket providing two points of support for resiliently supporting said receptacle in .a sub stantially horizontal position, said receptacle being arranged and constructed to pivot with respect to said supporting member and sag under the increasing accumulation of milk thereby compressing said spring and providing a downward vertical tug on the teats of the animal.

5. In a milking machine having a milk receiving receptacle and a plurality of teat cups connected to said receptacle by flexible milk tubes, the combination therewith of means for constructed to pivot with supporting the receptacle beneath and independently of an animal's body including a portable ground support having an upright member connected thereto, means pivotally connect ing said receptacle to said upright member for hinged movement about a horizontal axis, a spring engageable with said receptacle, said spring and said pivotal connecting means providing two points of support for resiliently supporting said receptacle in a substantially horizontal positio said receptacle being arranged and constructed to pivot with respect to said supporting member and to sag under the increasing accumulation of milk against the resilient supporting action of said spring thereby providing a downward vertical tug on the teats of the animal.

SHERWOOD DAILY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

respect to said supporting member and sag under the increasing accumulation of milk, UNITED STATES PATENTS thereby compressing saidspring and providing Number Name Date a downward vertical tug on the teats oi the 3,342,363 Babson et 24, 1943 142,247 Lincoln Aug. 26, 1873 4. In 8 milking machine having a milk-re- 1 59 2 3 Mccomack May 3 ceiving receptacle and a plurality oi teat cups connected to the receptacle by relatively short mREIGN PATENTS flexible milk tubes, the combination therewith Number c t p g of a P rtable ground supp having an upri h 5333' 16, 1926 Australia Dec. 

